Wellman’s Counselor Refuses to Take Blame

Howard Brody refused to take the blame Wednesday for Gary Wellman dropping a science class at Westlake High last spring, an action that probably cost Wellman a year of college athletic eligibility.

Brody, Wellman’s counselor at Westlake, said he was being made a scapegoat for a decision that was made by Wellman, an All-Southern Section football player who signed with USC.

Brody also said that he could not remember if he had advised Wellman to drop the class.

“With over 500 students and many things going on,” said Brody, who counseled about 575 students during the 1985-86 school year, “I do not specifically recall, at this moment, the incident.”

Wellman’s mother, Sue, said that her family does not want to comment on the matter.

Because he dropped the class, Wellman failed to meet part of the NCAA’s new academic requirements for incoming freshmen, which require a core curriculum of high school courses that includes two years in a natural or physical science. Wellman completed only 1 1/2 years in such courses.

Under the NCAA’s new rules, Wellman will not lose his scholarship, but will be ineligible to practice with the team for a year, including workouts, and will forfeit a year of eligibility.

He could retain four full years of eligibility--but still not be eligible for a year--if he paid his own way to USC in his freshman year.

George Contreras, the Westlake football coach, said Tuesday that Brody told Wellman that he could drop the science course because he had already met USC’s admissions requirements in science.

Brody said Wednesday that his first priority is to ensure that students meet graduation requirements and, if they are seeking admission to a specific college, college-entrance requirements.

Brody also said that he first learned of the NCAA’s new academic requirements in a story in Wednesday’s Times.

“The NCAA never delivered any information to me or my colleagues at Westlake High School regarding their rules,” Brody said.

“I fulfilled my professional responsibility in advising Mr. Wellman as to what he needed to enter the college of his choice. I was never asked what the NCAA requirements were. I was never informed that the NCAA had requirements.”